354 Dr. Whewell’s Inaugural Lecture a‘. 
of literary art endeavors to discern the laws of man’s nature by 
which he can produce that which is beautiful and powerful, ope- 
rating through the medium of language, so the critic of such art 
as we have had here presented to us—of material art, as we 
may term it—endeayors to discern the laws of material nature ; 
to learn how man can act. by these, operating’ through the me- 
dium of matter, and thus produce beauty, utility, and power. 
This kind of criticism appears.to be the natural and proper sequel 
to such a great burst of production and exhibition as we have 
; instead of the criticism which naturally comes after 
general circulation of poetry, t 
after a great exhibition of art: two eases of succession 
connected bya very close and profound analogy. That this 
view of the natural and general succession of science to art, as 
‘of criticism to poetry, is not merely fanciful and analogical, we 
n instant at the 
and painting, all had their origin and progress, while the sciences 
of recent times were in their cradle, or were unborn. ‘The dawn 
